back to article HTC slays Nokia's two-headed Android patent dragon in Germany

Nokia has lost a patent-infringement lawsuit it brought against rival phone-maker HTC. Nokia was upset about the way HTC's Android phones talked to Google app stores, claiming the communication ripped off its protected technologies. A German court ruled HTC did not infringe the Nokia-owned patent EP0812120 – called the ’120 …

COMMENTS

This topic is closed for new posts.
  1. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    God God...

    What moron granted EP1312974?? Its a complete pile of donkey crap.

  2. Bob Vistakin
    Holmes

    More to the point, which set of bastards are pushing Nokia this way?

    Some evil losers are clearly pulling their strings - you can smell their desperation.

    I just can't think who though. And since Nokia lost, this mysterious puppeteer can claim all ignorance, natch.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: More to the point, which set of bastards are pushing Nokia this way?

      Well here's a clue, they haven't been scroogled but they have been microshafted.

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: More to the point, which set of bastards are pushing Nokia this way?

      Nokia always had a ruthless streak. Even before Elop they did all they could to screw up other Symbian manufacturers and destroy the competing UIQ platform. In spite of the media ignorance, Symbian was not developed by Nokia. It was developed by Psion. So they were always a bit like Microsoft. Their success was never based on break-through innovation but in commercial savvy and ruthlessness.

      1. Andus McCoatover
        Windows

        Re: More to the point, which set of bastards are pushing Nokia this way?

        "Their success was never based on break-through innovation but in commercial savvy and ruthlessness."

        Don't get it. I thought being 'ruthless' and 'savvy' was how you made money, and became competetive nowadays.

        Oh, well. What do I know.

  3. Matt Bryant Silver badge
    Thumb Up

    Good!

    'Nuff said.

  4. frank ly

    re. the '974 patent

    This describes an auto-brightness function based on ambient light levels being detected and used to control display brightness. I remember back in the late '70s there was a medical ultrasonic scanner display (monochrome CRT) that had this feature, and the auto-brightness control was included in all the backlit controls and indicators of the scanner system. It had additional sophistication in that there was a small test patch of light-grey level in the lower corner of the screen that was covered by a light sensor and used as part of the control - hence it could take into account any tube ageing and possible different characteristics of a replacement tube.

    No matter how clever you think you are, somebody has probably done it before but not made a song and dance about it. I have no idea how that patent could have been awarded to Nokia.

    As for the communication with the Google Play Store, that sounds like internet communications and 'clever' software. Enough said.

    1. Mage Silver badge

      Re: re. the '974 patent

      They had TVs running 405 lines in the 1950s with a CdS sensor for ambient light and controlled the TV screen brightness. What idiot gave a patent on such a simple obvious idea?

      1. annodomini2

        Re: re. the '974 patent

        Yes it's obvious now, but it may not have been say in the 50's when it was fitted to a tv, but I agree if it has been around as a concept that long then how has the patent withstood the test in the courts?

  5. Gene Cash Silver badge
    Thumb Up

    Nokia has been told to pay HTC's legal costs

    At least that's one bright spot. If you patent-troll and you fail, you need to pay.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Nokia has been told to pay HTC's legal costs

      Patent trolls are generally non-practicing entities (NPEs) and/or those who go after companies that can't afford to defend themselves. Yes, on the surface (I didn't look deeper) the patents are questionable but they were granted and Nokia uses the technology in question.

      Please let's not add "patent troll" to the list of terms that is over used and loses all meaning.

      1. amehaye

        Re: Nokia has been told to pay HTC's legal costs

        Ok, call it Patent Bully then.

    2. Lars Silver badge
      Pint

      Re: Nokia has been told to pay HTC's legal costs

      I suppose you were down voted because of the "patent-troll", I will up vote for the "bright spot".

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Nokia has been told to pay HTC's legal costs

        But if you apply it to non-patent trolls then it makes patents not only hard to enforce for small companies but bloody risky too. If a small company took a big one to court and lost then they could probably be looking at serious financial problems unless the judge takes that into account.

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: Nokia has been told to pay HTC's legal costs

          "But if you apply it to non-patent trolls then it makes patents not only hard to enforce for small companies but bloody risky too. If a small company took a big one to court and lost then they could probably be looking at serious financial problems unless the judge takes that into account."

          Not really. The judge does look at what the legal expenses are. If you have a small company that had one lawyer, the bigger company couldn't say that they had 50 lawyers working on this case at $1,000 an hour for the past six months. Judges look at reasonable expenses.

  6. Lars Silver badge

    Came to think about it

    As I don't read much about cars, bicycles, refrigerators or medicine etc. Is this patent madness all about IT.

    1. Mage Silver badge

      Re: Came to think about it

      No. Edison, Marconi, RCA etc famous for it. Huge battles and 1000s of spurious patents awarded.

      It started getting out of hand in the late 19th century.

  7. mIRCat
    Coat

    Perhaps Gentleman...

    Now we can get back to the business of creating mobile devices?

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Perhaps Gentleman...

      In the case of Nokia, I would rather they didn't. Have you seen how bad the Lumias are, I know somone that almost accidently bought one the other day (The Lumias were recalled by Nokia for reasons unknown, and they got an Xperia T in the end, so it was a very close escape)

This topic is closed for new posts.

Other stories you might like